This was the message from the Environmental Services Association’s chairman Peter Gerstrom, who took to the podium at the trade body’s summer reception in London last week to report on the challenges facing the sector.
In his speech, Mr Gerstrom stated that Mr Stewart was showing ‘a kind of dynamism we feel we haven’t seen in a long time’ in terms of recognising the potential for more jobs, growth and investment in the sector.
He continued that government still needed to ‘collaborate more’, but that it was up to the waste sector to take the initiative and address the rising risk in commodity markets and falling recyclate quality.
Mr Gerstrom said: “At the recent Annual Conference of ESA, CIWM and the Resource Association, Mr Stewart gave an enlightening keynote speech in which he called for the UK to lead the world in recycling. He also focussed on waste crime, agreeing that we need to stamp it out so that the additional £4.2million which had been allocated to tackling it can be invested in the circular economy.
“The new government has been in place for over two months now and the waste and resources industry must step up its efforts to engage with the government if we are to be heard. We need stability and a long term framework – and its enforcement on the ground.”
Minister
Mr Stewart replaced Dan Rogerson as the government’s resource minister following a Defra reshuffle in May. The MP’s new portfolio also includes the natural environment, air quality, floods and water, environment management and rural affairs.
Mr Gerstrom’s praise of the new minister came just a day prior to Mr Stewart’s announcement that Defra would conduct a review of waste sector regulations under a larger government drive to save British businesses £10 billion by cutting red tape (see letsrecycle.com story).
Mr Gerstrom also championed the ‘six new policy areas’ launched by Resources & Waste UK in May, a new joint lobbying body formed last year comprising the ESA and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).
He added that ESA welcomes the ‘ambitious approach’ taken by the European Commission to create a new circular economy package, which could include a raft of higher recycling and recovery targets for EU member states. Mr Gerstrom said it was ‘still not certain’ what the industry can expect from the measures, which will be unveiled in late 2015.
Register for free to comment